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Wang J. et al., (2024) summarised by Gracie Maitland.
Introduction
This research provides an understanding into patients with Long Covid, how the condition impacted their daily lives, health, healthcare costs, and lost work. The study was conducted at 35 clinics in the UK that treat Long Covid, involving 4,087 adults who were registered in the Living With Covid Recovery (LWCR) program. It ran from August 2020 to August 2022.
The participants self-reported functional limitations in various aspects including: work, home management, social activities, personal leisure, and close relationships. The research tracked mobility, self-care, daily activities, feelings of pain or discomfort, and anxiety or depression. It found that patients reported slight improvements in essential activities of daily living, fatigue, health related quality of life and ability to work within six months.
Summary
Over half of the participants reported moderate to severe limitations in essential activities of daily life in the first month, primarily due to fatigue. After six months, patients in the LWCR program showed slight improvements, however nearly 60% of the participants still reported moderately severe or worse impairment. People under 50, women, and those who were deprived report smaller improvements over time. This highlights the complexity of Long Covid recovery.
Participants missed an average of 7.7 workdays each month, for six months. This was because of symptoms such as fatigue, mental health, shortness of breath and brain-related skills that are necessary for functioning in daily life. The monthly societal cost per Long Covid patient at 6 months was £931, mostly driven by the costs associated with working days lost. Nearly three-quarters of those who were off sick from work at the beginning of the study were still off sick at six months due to Long Covid. Over half of those who returned to work found it hard to complete their tasks, and over a third needed changes to their work environment. This demonstrates the impact of Long Covid, affecting people’s personal lives and ability to perform at work.
Conclusion
People registered in the LWCR study showed slight improvements in essential activities of daily living, fatigue, health related quality of life and ability to work within six months. Long Covid was highest among the working-age population. It lowers job performance and creates financial stress for individuals and the economy. Long Covid presents challenges for the NHS in delivering adequate care. Future research should focus on understanding how Long Covid affects people’s daily lives, health, societal and healthcare costs. When creating health policy recommendations for treating and managing Long Covid, it is important to consider key factors like social and cultural factors.
Read the research here
